Diary of a Madman(s)

I've been threating to do this for about 3 years. Better late than never!

Let's read Diary of a Madman by Nikolai Gogol and Diary of a Madman by Lu Xun. Gogol’s Diary of a Madman (1835) offers a satirical glimpse into tsarist bureaucracy through the lens of a narrator slipping into delusion, while Lu Xun’s Diary of a Madman (1918) uses a similar framework to critique Confucian tradition and societal conformity in early Republican China. Together, the stories invite discussion around the figure of the “madman” as social outcast, prophetic voice, or unreliable witness, and how each author uses narrative instability to reflect on broader cultural tensions. That probably sounds a little dull, and academic, but practically these are fun (short) stories about cannibalism and talking dogs.

I'll link to the stories and a relevant Youtube in the comments. Hope you can make it!